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#peek the furies in the bg
quibvsposts · 8 months
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a better knife, you are, than a person
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vinnival · 3 years
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hehe boie guess who's making surprise appreciation fics for my lovely friends!
(This one turns out a bit sad but I promise it ends happy 😭😭😭)
this one will be for @jalapenjowrites <3 Jo is gonna have a microscopically different bg story for the sake of plot if you don't mind hehe
prompt was from here! (slightly altered for Jo)
"You've been out of the madness for a year, a hideaway in all the ways that matter. But your life lacks meaning—not from your lack of action, but from the person you left behind. They went on what was basically a suicide run on your last mission, and you've never been able to forget them since you've left before you could see the results. You never told them the truth, that you loved them, and the mistake eats at you. Even a year later, it consumes you. One day you open your door to find him standing on the other side."
~
Jo sighed, drifting awake from blissful sleep.
'Ugh... Another day, another dollar, eh, Jo?'
Sitting up, she immediately felt something would happen today. It was like a grey cloud immediately formed in her brain, and she can't shake it off. It bothered her even as she brushed her teeth, put her casual clothes on, and even as she made and ate breakfast.
Groaning, she slammed her spoon down on the table she sat at.
"This has to stop, one way or another," she got up and approached the calendar to mark off another day-
Only to freeze in her tracks once she realized what today was.
Oh.
It's been a year already? It's felt so much longer, more like a decade, maybe even a century. Who knew at this point?
Time feels much different inside a bunker. Especially in a land where reality itself constantly breaks apart and tries to desperately fix itself, only making the hellscape worse.
It's been a year since Jo forced herself away from the team due to the grief of losing Hank.
"No, no, no, no, let's not think of that..." She spoke aloud to herself- trying to distract her brain into thinking about something else.
Unfortunately, once the brain thinks about something, it's nearly impossible to ignore it if you purposefully try to move on from it.
Choking up, Jo recalled the specific memory that haunted her- Deimos holding her back as Hank was running head-first into a room full of MAGs, even the Auditor was in in. He looked back only once, and she felt like he was staring only at her, gently throwing a wave towards her before turning back and entering.
Roars and gunshots erupted from the room. The only thing that seemed to be louder were Jo's pleas for him to come back to safety.
Deimos successfully managed to drag Jo back to the team van, but a sudden burst of anger and grief made her rip away from the safety of the vehicle.
"I have... I have to go," It was a shock how calm and low her voice was, starkly contrasting the intense fire of misery and fury burning within her.
"Whaddaya mean, toots? Get in the van!" Deimos said incredulously, only adding to Jo's fury. The gunshots raged on in the background, along with Sanford's frantic communication with Hank over the earpieces.
Jo slowly backed away, shaking her head. When he took a step towards her, she felt something snap in her brain.
She turned heel and ran like the wind. She could hear Deimos shouting for her, but she ripped her earpiece out and threw it behind her, running in one direction, and hoping it would help her.
...
Coming back to the present, Jo felt the warm streaks of tears on her face. A year...
Rubbing her tears away, she sniffles and glances at her stuffed animals. "What's a gal like me gonna do, huh?" She chuckled, but the tone held no humor.
Her thought process was cut off by a sudden rumbling from overhead. Snapping to attention, she immediately dove for a weapon as the sound continued.
She neared her emergency lookout scope (wonderfully disguised, mind you), and peeked outside.
A car was parked just nearby on the surface. The doors seemed to be open. Unfortunately, she couldn't see anything else. The car was parked too close for her to see who was getting out or hanging near it.
Although...
Her eye caught sight of a specific shade of black that nearly took her breath away. Adrenaline beginning to pump, she nearly topped off of her stepstool, making a mad dash to the entrance of the bunker.
Right before she opened it, she heard something knock on it from the other side. She immediately responded with a strained "HELLO?" before ripping open the metal hatch as fast as she could.
Jo's world practically melted around her as her eyes met with the most comforting, pain-relieving vermilion red goggles she's ever seen.
Every day of the past year, she's dreamt of a moment like this. A moment where she could see him again,
She's rehearsed her words millions of times over. What she'll say, how she'll say them...
And yet... despite the practice, nothing came from her mouth other than heavy breathing.
She reached out, hoping to everything that can possibly be good in Nevada that this is real, and not a dream. His hand did the same.
A very confused "HOLY SHIT?" came from somewhere behind Hank as Jo was lifted from her bunker by them and brought into a bone-crushing hug.
The warm streaks of tears returned, this time with happiness causing them, as she shuddered out the name that hung over her head like a curse for the past year- except now, it was a blessing to say.
"Hank... You're safe..."
He simply rumbled in response, very faint purring replacing the noise.
Jo felt truly happy again.
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booabug · 6 years
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anansi liveblog
finally get around to watching anansi when a new ep preview comes out lol :^)
summary: i love nino a lot (so much)
DJWIFI AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA aaAAaAaaaaAAaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA theyre cute AAAAAAAAAAAAA ADRINETTE ARE CUTE TOO DJWIFI STILL BEING CUTE AS HELL IN BG "some day i hope I can find someone i can share everything with" bro no don't look away bro wrong way look at her that's the someone bruh .......................... we're..., getting.. closer. at least. nino peeking at alya ; u; OHO A NEW SISTER APPEARS NORA OWNS baguette and cappy fuk finally someone in canon acknowledges alya in constant danger lmao nora pls you cant punch bad feelings away MR WHISKERS "I'd... do anything to protect Alya" NINO ; A; NINOOOOOOO I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU NINO I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I LOVE YOUR DEVIOUS ASS MARINETTE btw loving how adrien keeps looking at mari whenever he's unsure ALYA OUT lmao nino hunching up like a turtle i dont think her spirit is broken dude i think it burns w the fury of a thou suns OH I LOVE NORA'S ROOM THE ALI POSTER FROM WHEN HE WAS STILL GOING BY CASSIUS? that movie poster owns too hella you must defeat mr whiskers and beetle nino bby whats up lmao alya pls super-spider hmm this fight owns OH I GET IT FLYWEIGHT BC WEIGHT CLASSES BUT ALSO FLIES SPIDER HAH "ALYA" nino i love you so much i love you nino the sad lb transformation sequence :( NINO GONNA THROW DOWN I LOVE YOU SO MUCH NINO YOU BEAUT YOU ABSOLUTE MAD(ly in love) MAN yo this ladynoir protectiveness ; u; lbs concern overriding focus on the job now damn dude STICKY SITUATION LASJDHJFHSJLDFHSGGFFFFF stikc y situcatuon YOU ARE A SUPERHERO YEAH TELL HIM MARINETTE lmfao dont pull kitty's ears two of my fave supers: Cap and now Cappy (wait put head wings on Cappy's hood tho lmao) NINO MY BEAUTIFUL SON I LOVE YOU SO MUCH NINO YEAH DUDE HELLA LADYDUDE i love u sm nino lmfao I love hm getting sassed gw anansi wait I have to pause that "I'd do anything for her" wwas a shot to the heart AND YOU'RE TO BLAME NINO YOU GIVE LOVE A wonderful name ilysm nino WHOA DUDE IS RIGHT YEAH BUDDY YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHH THIS TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE YERAHFHEYAHEH HELLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH lmfao I'm never going to get sick of mari using other ppl direstly in her plans DUDE THIS OWNS THE FIGHT CHOREO WITH THE SHIELD ilysm cappy moar liek butthurtflyman never gonna get sick of mari's plans involving national monuments getting destroyed YEAH CAPTAIN that pout NEVER GONNA GET SICK OF CHAT GETTING YEETED MY LADYNOIR HEART IM CREY oh thank god they're going with carapace in eng dub too ilu nino............ or should i say carapace!!!!!!!! LMAO NINO'S NERVOUS LAUGHTER AND #ALYA KNOWS nora all knobbly kneed on ice :3c friendly reminder that i love you nino i love you so much uwu
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underxthexsuns · 7 years
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Chapter 1: Part 1 - Bruce Banner’s Story
WRITERS’ NOTE
This fic is compiled from an RP. Please excuse any choppiness or flow concerns that may arise because of this.
Also, please note this is entirely AU. Canon ships have been eliminated in most cases, and some timelines and canon stories have been changed for our story purposes and general amusement. Characters alive in the MCU may be dead in this universe and vice versa. Loosely, this RP occurs after Civil War, Spider-Man Homecoming and Ragnarok. Willingly suspend your disbelief and enjoy
~ Lucy and BG Blogger
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-1-
 The Island of Solace, Kingdom of Eldorai, Realm of Soleil
 The two suns of the blue planet Soleil were both high in the sky. The elder red sun's warm hues were tempered by the golden rays of the newer and more energetic sun, and together the blazing orbs in the sky illuminated the shoreline of Eldorai. Unlike the beaches of Earth, the sands here were composed of pale blue glass that shimmered and danced as brightly as the warm blue waters that lapped against its shores did. It was here that Paloma Nuage strolled the way she often did in the dual afternoon, enjoying the way the warmth heated her freckled skin. Behind her, two great dog-like beasts padded, though their hulking paws made no sound, as these dogs were not composed of flesh and bone.
 They were made of swirling black shadow.
 As usual, the dogs were distracted. The glassy pink crabs that scuttled back and forth across the beach put both in a state of excitement. Their nubby tails shook to and fro, and their eyes darted back and forth like two spectators at some sporting event ever tracking the ball. The day was like any other for Paloma and her pets.
 Until it wasn't.
 Render was the first to sense that something was not right. The larger of the dogs suddenly growled, turning its blood red gaze toward the sky. Paloma stopped and turned to see what the trouble was, assuming that the silly creature had gotten too close to a scuttling crab and received a well-earned pinch in return.
 "You silly poor--" she began but then stopped short, following his gaze to the sky. "What is it, Boy?" she asked.
 Paloma turned her hand into a sort of visor for her brow, trying to see if anything threatening was visible in the cloudless sky. "There's nothing," she said as if trying to convince herself. "You odd little--"
 It was then that Sheagra began to share her brother's fears, abandoning her nosing at a large lavender shell to join in with the growls. Although always later to react, the female was much more protective of her mistress, and so it was that the beast barreled toward Paloma, flinging the woman over her broad back as she darted toward one of the craggy seacliffs.
 "It's probably just a lunabird confused at the hour!" Paloma protested. "Stop, Girl!"
 But Sheagra paid no mind.
 She continued to charge along the glassy beach until she reached a crevasse in the cliffside large enough to conceal herself, her flailing mistress and her trailing brother. Once within the crevasse, the two creatures blocked the entry, both snarling and showing their shadowy teeth. And it was only then that the silver metal of a ruined Asgardian space ship began to rain down, shattering the glass beads of the beach into smaller slivers and bringing the first of the travelers that would change Soleil forever to its surface.
 A traveler by the name of Bruce Banner.
 Biochemistry. Nuclear physics. Gamma radiation. These profoundly intricate scientific studies, ones that oft consumed the waking hours of Bruce Banner, were far easier for the scientist to grasp, to get ahold of than his own state of mind had become in the last few years.
 Science--what had once been such a comfort to the doctor now posed an ever-present threat to him, one that he could somehow keep at bay until his heart rate began to pick up and his blood began to race, signifying an impending transformation should he be unable to get his breathing under control.
 And the deep breathing exercises he had attempted to master could never quite stop his emotions from getting the better of him.
 He had gotten more skilled at it, of course, and learned how to use his monumental mistake to his advantage when necessary. But moments like this, hurtling through the sky in a deteriorating hunk of metal heading for some colorful surface he could not make sense of--these unanticipated moments of panic wiped out years of coping mechanisms and allowed instinctual responses to take over.
 Breathing hard and labored, Bruce gripped onto the side of what was left of his quarters in the ship, clinging to one of the walls as if the harder he squeezed onto the metal bar, the easier it would be to calm himself. That did nothing to stop the onslaught of panic and disorientation. The sound of air whistling through the holes in this forsaken section of the ship soon became replaced by a thundering in his ears so loud that not even Thor himself could have commanded it.
 Dizzy, Bruce was forced to release his grip on the wall and go clamoring to the floor where his fists balled against it, one lifting up and slamming down onto it again as dread and fear for his life turned into confusion. The fog taking over his mind was often the last thing he remembered in these moments, and he had no choice but to surrender to what he knew was coming.
 By the time the piece of the Asgardian ship ran explosively aground, inside there was no longer a mild-mannered doctor inside it. In his place, there raged a half-dressed beast whose roar of fury could be heard long before the metal that housed him was ripped apart from the inside.
 With a piece of the ruined ship twice his size in one fist, the Hulk emerged from the ship, standing at full height as he flung what had kept him trapped many yards ahead of him. It was only when he looked at where he'd sent the silver flying that his eyes were able to take in the strange surroundings and the creatures that the metal had fallen just shy of.
 There was another roar of a sound as he picked up the remains of the metal and hurled it toward the trio, following the path toward the break in the rock wall with large footsteps that shook the ground beneath him.
 Paloma gave a cry of surprise when the ruins of what she could only assume was a spacecraft or a satellite crashed down. Her loyal pets growled more ferociously, causing her to reach a shaky hand out to the shadowy scruff of Render's neck. "Easy...there could be a survivor and-"
 She peeked through the crevasse in time to see a...hulking green beast reduce what was left of his silvery wreckage transport into nothing but shards. "Never mind," she said, crouching down with terror as the metal was lobbed in their direction.
 As the beast came barreling toward them, apparently in hopes of turning them into scraps as well, Paloma cried, "Defend!" to her pets.
 Instantly, the two growling shadows leapt out of crevasse. Both hunkered down, hindquarters splayed, front paws flat against the glassy sand. They barked in warning, the sound coming out as aggressive booms. Each bark seemed to increase the size of the dogs until they were level with the waist of the great green man.
 The sound of the dogs booming in his direction did nothing to slow the Hulk down, teeth gritted as he barreled toward them with the intent of getting them out of his way as quickly as he could. One of his massive hands came out to do just that with the two dogs in from of him, sweeping his arm across to fling one of them from his path. He could hear the voice of what sounded like a girl as he did, but her pleas for him to stop did nothing to inspire inaction. If anything, it only gave him another target to deal with in a moment.
 "Halt and no harm will come to you!" she called to the man, just peeking her head out from the crevasse. "We could be friends? Maybe?"
 Unsure this strange green creature had ever met a friend he did not want to eat or crush, Paloma quickly made a decision. She leaned out further from her hidey-hole and focused her gaze on the sizable shadow the green alien had cast along the glass beach. Suddenly, the flat black silhouette emerged from the ground, taking on a life of its own.
 "Please stop!" she called at him before she turned the Hulk's own shadow against him. The giant black mass wrapped its flickery arms around the Hulk's charging legs much like a child would a parent it was trying to keep from leaving the home bound for battle. The shadow man drug his feet against the sand in hopes of trying to slow the approaching beast down.
 Hulk turned around, bending at the waist to see what had dared touch him when he was confronted with, well, himself, essentially. Having something that size facing him down only fueled his survival instincts which in turn made his heavy brow crease and his jaw clench as another frustrated noise came out of him. He did his best to turn around and grab hold of the thing, but before he could, he found himself flat on his back.
 "I really don't mean you harm!" she said as the Hulk's shadow managed to pull him off his feet. "Sorry!" she cheeped. "Please don't get back up..."
 And as if to discourage him from doing so, the shadow dogs stepped forward and showed their teeth as the shadow hulk held on for dear life, ready to wrestle further.
 Ignoring the voice of the desperate girl trying to reason with him, the great green beast reached down to try and pull the shadow version of himself off, only to have the creature lift up his own massive arm to block the movement. When it did, the Hulk had been in motion toward the other being which caused a collision with its fist and his own head. This incapacitated the massive green beast and sent him back against the ground, only this time totally unconscious.
 Paloma winced when the green visitor collided with its shadow fist as if she had somehow felt it. Her dogs stopped barking and cocked their heads. Sheagra turned to look at her, making a series of confused yelps that prompted her to say, "No, he does not seem to be very bright...poor thing."
 Before she could go and investigate, the green thing was changing before her eyes, shrinking and growing paler until he was no bigger a man than her father had been.
 "Well..." she said, surveying him. "That is...not what I expected to happen." She approached the naked body hesitantly and bent down, giving it a little tap with her finger.
 Sheagra growled a little in protest. "Oh hush. You worry too much. He's asleep..." Looking to the Hulk's shadow that was towering over the two of them scratching its head, she said, "If you wouldn't mind...I think he would be much more comfortable in a bed."
 Hours later, Bruce Banner laid in just such a bed. The blanket covering him was impossibly soft and rippled with the sleeping movements of his body.
 Outside, the young sun had set, leaving the landscape bathed in blood red light. The illumination reflected off of mirrors around the windows positioned to reflect at long green ivy vines that grew inside of the simply furnished room. Orchid-like flowers blossomed on the scrolling tendrils and they gave off a bright glow that illuminated the room like lanterns.
 Bruce's unmentionables were covered by a long skirt made out of the same sort of material that dressed the bed, only in a rich shade of copper rather than pale ivory. Paloma wore one to match with a form fitting blouse with a ruffled collar covering her chest where Bruce's was bare.
 Paloma sat watching carefully for any sign that the man might be waking, and when he seemed to be she rose to her feet and came to crouch beside the bed.
 "Good halfnight, Traveler," she said. "You are safe...and I would most appreciate being the same. If you could stay peach and not go green, I would be much obliged."
 Bruce wasn't sure how long he had been sleeping when unconsciousness left him, and it took a moment for him to open his eyes. He had been enjoying the comfort of the bed until he remembered that he had not been sleeping and should not be in a bed.
 No, the last thing he had been doing was heading to his new room on the ship, and then having that room go plummeting from the sky. This realization startled him fully awake and he opened his eyes finally, afraid to look around and see where he was. Or worse, what he might have done.
 His worst fears were confirmed when he sat up in a strange place and looked down to see that he was not wearing a shirt. Peering under the blanket, he realized that he had been dressed in something else that was not his, either. Bruce's eyes closed again; not to sleep this time but instead in dread and shame.
 He hadn't noticed the girl at his bedside until she had crouched beside it and began speaking, and when he heard her say 'go green,' he let out a soft sigh and forced himself to open his eyes again.
 Bruce pulled the blanket up further around him and held it tightly in his fists. He took in the sight of the red head asking him to remain as he was for her safety, which prompted him to meekly ask before even trying to find out who she was or where he was, "...did I hurt you?
 Paloma wasn't sure if the man in the bed would understand her language or if he could understand language at all. He didn't seem to when he had been green, but there was much different about him in that moment. Already, she was planning how she might try to communicate with the peach version of the man in hopes of bringing out his greener side. She really had no evidence that he would be safer in peach form, but at least he was smaller.
 To her relief, the peach version could speak. "Oh no," she said kindly. "The only one hurt was you." She gestured to his forehead. "You ran headfirst into your shadow's fist."
 Although she frowned with sympathy, Bruce felt relieved at this news. That was the best possible outcome in these situations, and he was often not so fortunate. The explanation of how Bruce had hit his head brought a dull ache of pain to life. He reached his hand up to touch it, and when he did, she explained that he had run into 'his shadow's' fist.
 Confusion read on Bruce’s face as he lifted his gaze to where she was pointing. The large shadow was sitting in the corner of the room with her two dogs contentedly in his lap.
 Paloma followed his gaze and reached out a hesitant hand to touch his arm. "It is a friend. No reason to be afraid. I can send it away, even, if you promise to be peach."
 Despite her assurances, Bruce was startled a little and pushed back on the bed, feeling his heart rate begin to pick up.
 Not again. Not now.
 "Are you in any pain?"
 Bruce closed his eyes and took a few very deep breaths in succession. Though his head did hurt, he shook it to signify that he was fine, eyes still closed.
 "I am called Paloma. What are you called, Traveler?"
 Careful to only look at his hostess when he opened his eyes this time, he repeated her name and gave a soft, uncertain smile. "Paloma."
 The way he pronounced her name caused the redhead to grin. Paloma had not heard anyone say it aloud in such a long time. She almost asked him to do it again, but thought he might think her odd. Or odder than he probably already found her now that he had discovered her entertaining his shadow while he slept.
 "Dr. Banner," he said as he released the blanket and tried to relax himself. “Bruce.”
 "Doctor Banner Bruce," she pronounced carefully.
 "Bruce," he shook his head as if to correct himself. "Call me Bruce.”
 "Bruce,” Paloma echoed, trying out the name. “That is faster to say. And a fine name."
 “Where... what is this place?"
 Wondering if he had even actually come here the way he believed as he hardly trusted himself or his memory, he asked, "How did I get here?"
 "You are on the Isle of Eldorai on the Realm of Soleil."
 Bruce nodded, even though he had never heard of the place before. That wasn't new; he had found himself in strange places before and managed to make it out alive. If everyone here was as kind as her, there was no reason to get upset or afraid.
 Paloma continued on to tell the tale of his arrival, her voice coming in an excited sort of breathlessness as if she was reliving every exciting moment, "You...fell from the sky. From space, I think. You had some metal with you but you threw at me. I left it where it was if you need it."
 "After you threw it, I made friends with your shadow and tried to calm you down. You gave Render and Sheagra quite a fright and they were barking loud enough to wake the Beyond. I think they only upset you more, though. And then..." She pantomimed him running into the fist.
 She got to her feet and went to a basin, retrieving a damp rag. "Would you like me to send off the green you's shadow?"
 ""I can't make any promises,” he confessed in a soft voice “It...can stay." It was better if he had something to stop him rather than to get worked up and hurt the kind girl who was taking care of him.
 Bruce turned his mind to how he had come to find himself in this unfamiliar world as Paloma saw to her work at the basin. The part about the metal and the sky did make him think that he had indeed come from the ship, which prompted him to ask, "Was there anyone else with me? A blond man, maybe?"
 Turning to glance over her shoulder with her hands still in the basin, Paloma shook her head, "No, you were alone. Well, unless the blonde man can become very small...or turn into metal? Otherwise, I think only you made it to my shore."
 Paloma lifted a cloth out of the basin and rang it out. She approached the bed, placing one knee on it. "May I?" she asked gesturing toward his head. "It is soaked in Peaceberry water. It should ease the pain."
 "Thank you," he said with a tight smile, giving her the go ahead.
 Paloma crawled onto the bed more and placed the cool rag against Bruce's forehead. She sat right in front of him in the space between his legs, leaning close so she could press the soft cloth flat against his skin.
 In her new position, Bruce was able to get a good look at her face for the first time and noticed that she was not only kind, but quite pretty as well with large blue-green eyes and a heart-shaped mouth. This thought made him shyly cast his gaze away from her while she dabbed at his skin.
 "There," she said finally with satisfaction and sat back. It was only once she had sat back again that he let himself look at her once more.
 "That did help," he said with an easier, more comfortable smile than before.
 "Excellent," Paloma was thrilled to hear that her remedy had been effective It had always worked for her bumps and scrapes, but she had no idea if it could help an alien. She was relieved to hear that it had, wanting her guest to feel comfortable. Who knew how long he would need to stay there?
"I find that interesting...what did you call it? It's a...berry with analgesic properties?"
 "Peaceberry," she replied. "Anklejesus?" she repeated. "I am not sure what the meaning of this word is. Our healers have long used it to take away pain. My nurse taught me how to prepare it when I was small. I liked to put it on Papa's bruises when he would come home from the battlefield."
  "You'll be good as new in no time." She slipped off of the bed and returned with a spiny looking piece of fruit. "In case you are parched and hungry." She passed the strange thing to him and a slight sloshing sound of liquid could be heard within.
 Even more interesting to Bruce than an ‘anklejesus berry’ was the fruit that she brought over to him. His brow furrowed as he took it from her and examined it. "What do you call this?" He asked curiously, moving it by his ear to hear the liquid inside of it.
 "Jubub,” Paloma said simply “Do you not have it on your home world?"
 As he shook his head and examined the fruit, Paloma could not help but ask "Where were you trying to go when you fell out of the sky, Bruce?"
 Bruce moved the strange thing down into his lap and fiddled with it as he tried to come up with an explanation for both himself and her. "I don't exactly know...I mean, I was leaving Asgard," he said matter of factly as if everyone was aware.
 Paloma's eyes flashed with recognition when he mentioned Asgard. "I have heard of your world! It is one of the nine realms. Our court mystic taught me the names and locations of all of them in the sky."
 "We were moving its residents to safety,” Bruce continued “And... I have to assume the ship malfunctioned and we did not make it very far."
 That was the best answer he could give. It was either that or Loki's doing, and he couldn't be pressed with the thought of so many people in danger and him unable to do anything.
 "Who is the blonde man?" Paloma asked in a softer tone. There was a risk the question might upset him, but she could not temper her curiosity.
 "Thor, he..." Bruce sighed, trying not to get flustered as he realized he was really alone in this place.
 "The King of Asgard. He was on that ship with me. If he made it down here, too, I might be able to figure out what happened and get us back on track. I'm just... apparently alone and at a loss without any further knowledge," he said the last words breathily and rubbed at his temple with one hand.
 Paloma frowned a little. "I'm sorry that I did not see your king, Bruce. Soleil is a large realm, though. There is hope he and the rest of your people landed elsewhere." How he would ever find them, she had no clue.
  That would have to wait, though. For the time being, she could see to his immediate needs. She moved and sat next to him on the bed, putting her back against the headboard.
 The thought of Thor being his king earned the woman a laugh. "I'm not really from there. I--the guy you met, he was helping Thor. It--" he waved off what he was saying.
 "It doesn't really matter, does it? I'm here now," he said with a long glance around the strange room, eyes lingering on the shadows in the corner for only a brief second.
 "Your story is important," she told him. "To me, it is. But you needn't tell it now for you are correct...you are here now. Safe. And you may stay as long as you need to. I am glad for the company."
 Paloma gestured toward the fruit in his lap. "I can show you how to drink from and eat it..."
 Bruce nodded and handed it over to her, his curious eyes watching intently, genuinely intrigued by the thing.
 Never taking his eyes off of the fruit, he asked, "Do you live here alone?" He was hoping she'd say yes, but not for any malicious reason; quite the opposite, actually.
 For the first time since he had awoken, Paloma's smile vanished. She looked forlornly at the fruit and shook her head. "I am alone." Forcing herself not to become as dark as the day was becoming outside with the red sun setting, she looked over at Bruce, "With the exception of my pets, of course."
 Bruce thought to himself that his hostess seemed too kind to have to be alone if she didn't want to be. He almost felt the need to apologize, but he wasn't sure what for.
 Her confession made, Paloma took the fruit and carefully broke off one of the long spines. "Now, you just go like this." She inverted the spike and drove it into the dimple that had been created with is removal. A hole appeared in the fruit. "Drink from there," she told him. "And when it is empty, the shell will cleave, and you can eat the flesh."
 Bruce took the bizarre piece of fruit and turned it up so that he could drink from it. The man hadn't realized how thirsty he had been until he began to drink it, and it wasn't long until he had drained its contents.
 Finally, unable to resist, Paloma asked, "You said...the guy I met...are you referring to you green? Or...is it...not you? I hope it is not rude to ask. Everyone I have ever met has only managed to be one person at a time, not two. And certainly not one green and one peach. Your species is not familiar to me."
 Bruce let the fruit sit in the cradle of his hands in his lap again and looked down at it as she finished her question, unsure of how to answer.
 "It isn't rude. I'd have questions, too. But, uh... There is no species," he explained quietly. "I'm the only one like this."
 Bruce looked over at her, trying to figure out how to satisfy her curiosity without giving her more information than she'd asked for.
 "Speaking technically, he is me, but..."
 He shrugged slowly. "We are not the same. He comes and...I go. Most of the time, without my say so."
 Picking absently at the fruit, he added with a sad smile, "Rarely can I control him. He's mostly a burden." Glancing up at her, he finished quietly, "A dangerous one. My biggest mistake."
 Paloma was relieved that Bruce did not think her question was rude. She had been taught to tread cautiously with strangers, as even the slightest of offense could lead to calamity. While she doubted that offending her guest could cause something as serious as a war, she did not want to risk him not liking her, or worse, just leaving.
 She listened with wide eyes as he explained that he was the only one who turned green from his world. It made sense that he referred to that side of him as someone else. Paloma could tell that the green half of him was a source of shame, and judging by the question that he had asked when he first arrived, she guessed he had hurt people without meaning to in the past.
 "You are one of a kind," she said gently with a genuine smile. "I am as well...as far as I know."
 The more Paloma she talked, the more Bruce found he liked her. They'd only just met and under bizarre circumstances, but even with her having met his less flattering self before him, she didn't seem to be afraid and instead thought him to just be unique. The smile he wore when he agreed, "I think you are," said that he really did think she was the only one of her kind in his own way--in relation to how she thought of Bruce Banner.
 Paloma's attention shifted to the shadowy creatures in the corner of her room. As if sensing her gaze, Render rose to his feet and yawned. He gave a low groan and then snuffed the air. Crossing the bedroom, he hopped up on the foot of the bed.
 "He won't hurt you," she promised as the dog proceeded to sniff Bruce's feet through the blanket. "He just wants to know what you are."
 Bruce did not relax even as she assured him everything was fine, but he did calm his muscles a bit once the dog determined him to be okay and rested his head on his foot. He wanted to sit up and try to pet him like she did to say that he was friendly, but he still was a bit off-put by its appearance.
 Leaning down, she patted his head, "Bruce is a friend," she told the dog who promptly flopped down on the bed and put his chin on Bruce's foot.
 "What is a mistake?" she asked, the word having been echoing in her mind. "This is not a word I know."
 "A mistake," he repeated.
 "You know... Something you do that you don't mean to do. I mean to say, I created him by accident. And now I've got to deal with what I've done."
 His eyes had moved to the large shadow in the corner as he said those words darkly. With something of a breathy laugh, he said, "but you don't seem to mind. And I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that you don't. It's...nice, but it probably isn't a good idea."
 "A mistake is an error that you regret, " Paloma said, summarizing his explanation.
 "We do not have a word for this. I was always taught that you must accept your errors and learn from them. Regret is a waste of energy." Quickly she added, "But I know all cultures are different. Even here on Soleil."
 Bruce looked back down at the fruit as she spoke. It wasn't as easy as that for him, he thought, but he did not intend to say so. He didn't intend to go into all of that; she didn't need to hear his life story or what he wished he could have done different. Paloma didn't need to know that his mistake had cost many people their lives in the long run. It wasn't her issue to listen to.
 With the unfamiliar word explained, Paloma processed the rest of what he had said. "People where you are from mind that you become green?"
 "My friends...they actively try to keep me in situations where I won't freak out."
 Paloma smiled. The expression that he used was unfamiliar to her, but she could guess his meaning. They helped him to remain calm, as apparently that was the key to helping him stay peach rather than green.
 She thought the situation for a moment and said, "I suppose if I did not have my shadow friends it might have been frightening to see you that way. But I do, so no I do not mind that you become him. If it troubles you, though, then I am sorry you find yourself living with your...mistake, as you called it."
 "Life is peaceful here," she said. "Maybe this will be a good place for you." Of course, she did not want to get her hopes up that he would stay, but it gave her something to hold onto. Perhaps for at least a little bit of time she would not have to be alone.
 Bruce was unsure of how to respond. Surely, he couldn't stay on this strange world forever; he didn't know the first thing about it or of her for that matter. But in the same vein, he couldn't go back to Earth. On Earth, he was just destruction and pain; even when he helped out a city, he did not do so without civilian casualties and destruction of property in his wake. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to consider it. After all, it couldn't be worse than where Thor had found him before.
 Reaching out, Paloma picked up the fruit. "You should eat the jubjub before it begins to leak. It is very sticky and it will soon be too dark for us to go and bathe in the sea."
 “Right," he mumbled with a nod as he looked down at it, pulling off a piece and popping it into his mouth.
 As he chewed, he turned his head back to her. With fruit still in his mouth, he said, "You said I could stay... do you mind if I crash out for a little bit?"
 "Of course you may stay....but do not crash, please. You might be hurt." Paloma said, holding up a hand as if she thought he was going to jump into the sky and then fall onto the ground.
 Bruce took another bite, chuckling at her confusion "Just need to..." he motioned at himself absently. "Sleep it off a little more, I think."
 "Oh! Sleep. Of course." Paloma jumped off the bed and whistled for Render to vacate his spot.
 Reaching down, she took the cloth off of his head and set it back into the basin. "A pleasant rest to you, Bruce. I will be right here if you require anything before First Dawn."
 "Thank you, Paloma," he said softly as he got himself into a lying position again. He watched her from where he lay as she told him she'd be right there if he needed something.
 He closed his eyes and pulled the blanket up around him. "I think your..." he yawned through a sleepy smile, "big shadow friend will keep an eye...on me..."
 By the time he had finished the sentence, had fallen into a restful sleep, one not induced by a large fist, and instead by genuine peace.
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